A fantastic series: Joe Schmidt hails Ireland squad after success in Australia

The Six Nations champions bounced back from an opening loss in Brisbane to level up in Melbourne and clinched the series with a 20-16 victory over the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday.

Ireland won 10 of their 11 games in the 2017/18 campaign, but they saved one of their gutsiest displays for last as Michael Cheika’s men threw the kitchen sink at the tourists but came up just short.

A decision by television match official Ben Skeen late in the game went Ireland’s way as he decided Jacob Stockdale had not knocked on Bernard Foley’s pass, and the visiting players were able to celebrate the team’s first series win over one of the southern hemisphere’s big three since 1979.

Schmidt was delighted with the way his team got over the line.

“It’s up there,” he said of the win, in comparison to Ireland’s other achievements this term.

“I think they are a super team. To be in their back yard and manage to sneak off with the Lansdowne Trophy is a little bit special for us, especially on the back of a pretty long season.

“It is a credit to players, they dug in just well enough. I’m pretty pleased there is not a game next week - that might have been a bridge too far.

“But the Wallabies are going in the other direction, they have got fuel in the tank and I think they are building.

“I’m sure ‘Cheiks’ is pretty happy with some of what they’re doing, particularly in that second half.”

Having talked to heroes of the 1979 side, Schmidt was fully aware of the historical context of his team’s victory.

“It’s big for us because we don’t do that very often and it was 39 years ago.

“I did have a good chat to a couple of the guys who did it last time. Ollie Campbell is a guy I’ve got huge respect for,” he said of the former Ireland fly-half who starred on that tour.

“We had a bit of a chat about it. He’s such an enthusiast and his confidence was brimming that we could do it.

“I didn’t quite share the confidence at the time because I knew how tough it was going to be and that was evident in those final minutes, not just tonight but last weekend as well.

“They were coming in waves and we managed to keep them out as well.

“I feel that potentially we were a little bit fortuitous and the margins are so fine.

“I didn’t think we were far off in Brisbane either. It’s been a fantastic series.”